


Binary Lives

by Untherius



Series: The Sun-Bearer Chronicles [5]
Category: Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones, Tangled (2010)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-27
Updated: 2011-10-27
Packaged: 2017-10-25 00:05:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/269410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Untherius/pseuds/Untherius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eugene proposes to Rapunzel--yet again--and this time she says yes!  Rapunzel changes her mind about their honeymoon--again--this time suggesting something highly unusual.  The morning of their wedding, Rapunzel makes an alarming presentation to her family.  The wedding happens with the expected hitch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Binary Lives

**Author's Note:**

> This work contains slightly-more-than-implied sexual content.

Rapunzel sat at a table on the veranda. It was dressed elegantly with a white table cloth, a small vase with a single rose and the usual array of flatware. They'd normally have servants to help, but this evening the two of them were alone. Eugene carried a large tray holding two large covered plates and two small ones, which he set on an adjacent table. He picked up the two large plates and placed one in front of her and then the other in front of himself. She smiled up at him.

“It's...been a while since we've eaten alone,” she said, “and breakfast and snacks don't count.”

“Right on both counts,” he said, “as always.”

“I'm not always right.”

“I beg your pardon?”

She just giggled. Then Eugene removed the cover from her plate and returned it to the tray. Rapunzel looked at her newly-revealed dinner and took a deep breath. “It smells wonderful!” Then she eyed the vegetable selection suspiciously. “Brussels sprouts?”

“Some people like them, others don't, but they're in season, so that's what we're having. I think the seasonings have successfully counterbalanced the...er...flavor, but I'll let you be the judge of that.”

“What about you?”

“What about me what?”

“Do you like Brussels sprouts?”

“Well, they're not my favorite, but it isn't about me.”

“Oh. And the meat is...?”

“Venison.”

“I don't think I've had that before. Why venison?”

“It was the first game I encountered that day.”

“You...you killed this?”

“Hunted it, shot it, dressed it, carved it, cooked it.”

“Wow,” she said with a touch of awe.

“I jerked the rest. It's drying as we speak.”

“Did you grow the vegetables, too?”

“No, but I did pick them and cook them.”

“And the bread?”

“I baked it. I wanted to mill it, too, but that's all been done for some time.”

She giggled. “What did the head cook think of all that?”

“At first he tried to do it for me. Then he tried to tell me what to do. We nearly came to blows over dessert and then I threw him out of his own kitchen.”

She laughed. “You did _WHAT?!_ ”

“Oh, he was furious. I didn't know one person's face could turn that many different colors. It was rather comical.”

“You know he's probably going to get revenge.”

“Probably.”

Rapunzel picked up her fork and knife, cut off a piece of the meat, put it into her mouth and started chewing, slowly and deliberately. She closed her eyes, savoring the flavor instead of inhaling it as she usually did these days. Eugene noticed, but held his tongue. When she'd swallowed the first bite, she spoke. “Eugene, this is delicious! You may have missed your calling. Where did you learn this?”

“It was more a matter of having a lot of experience eating bad food. I mostly just remembered that and did the opposite.”

Their dinner continued with the usual conversation about their training, the state of world politics, the past, the future, the usual things couples discuss over a pleasant meal. Then it was time for dessert and Eugene repeated the process he'd performed with the dinner plates.

“The cook said fruit wasn't an acceptable dessert, but I disagreed.”

She giggled again. “That looks delicious, too. I...take it you picked those, too?”

“Yes...yes, I did.”

She took a bite, savoring that, too. “This is perfectly balanced. Most people drown their fruit in honey or sugar. You used just enough to offset the tartness without obliterating the flavor. You have our Royal permission to do dessert any time you'd like.”

He chuckled a little at this. “Now you're flattering me.”

“Not at all,” she said fondly.

They continued to eat and when they were finished, Eugene got up and removed their plates. She noticed he seemed a little nervous. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

“Yes, everything's fine. I have a question I've been meaning to ask you.” He took something out of his pocket and got down on one knee, taking her hand. “Rapunzel, I love you very much. You've literally saved my life, probably more than once. I'd be honored if you'd allow me to spend what's left of it by your side. Will you marry me?”

Rapunzel took the ring from his hand and held it up, peering at it with a cocked eyebrow. It didn't look like first-rate workmanship. It wasn't really even round and in fact, almost appeared to have been trampled by a herd of bison. The stone was in good shape, if a bit uneven.

“That's a new metal called titanium,” he explained, attempting to answer what he guessed were her unspoken questions. “You have no idea how hard it is to work that stuff.”

She stifled a gasp. “You...you made this, too?”

“Yes. It took me a whole week just to get it even that round.”

“That's a sapphire?”

“They're not as hard to shape as diamonds, but hard enough.”

“Wow!”

“They're also more colorful...like you.”

“Oh, Eugene...” she began to cry, then through the tears, “yes.”

He apparently missed that last bit. “I feel we have a very strong connection...”

“Eugene.”

“...and I'll do whatever it takes...”

“Eugene.”

“...I'll never give up on...”

“Eugene!” That shut him up. “I said 'yes,' you silly man!”

His face lit up, she allowed him to place the ring on her finger and then they threw themselves into each other's arms, squealing and whirling around with much joy and relief.

“We should go share this with my parents!” she said. Then they dashed off into the palace hand-in-hand.

*****

Eugene stood outside the armoire that served as the portal to twenty-first century Wales, waiting for Rapunzel to return from the future. It had been three days his time, although Rapunzel had informed him it would be a week her time. While his fiancée insisted otherwise, he was still dogged by the thought that if she spent too much time in the future relative to her time in the present, she'd grow old and grey long before he did. That bothered him. This was her third trip and it also concerned him that her traveling to the future so often might have a deleterious impact on that future. He wasn't sure he correctly understood certain nuances of causality, so his protests were more token than not. Still, it nagged at the back of his mind.

Without warning, the door sprang open and Rapunzel bounded out of its dark interior. “ _Alskling!_ ” she squealed. She dropped the two small bags she carried, threw her arms around him and gave him a firm, juicy kiss.

“Alskling?” he asked after she'd released him.

“It's an Ingarian term of endearment,” she explained.

“Uh-huh,” he said dubiously.

“And Eugene?” she teased. “You keep that tongue where it belongs.”

He faked a pained expression, then grinned and picked up her bags. “So, what's new in the future? I mean, I know things were very chaotic on your last visit.”

“That's an understatement!”

“You were...a bit vague on some of the details. I promise I won't tell anyone anything that might risk undermining the integrity of space-time.”

“I've been vague on a _lot_ of the details. I was scared and confused and...there was a lot to process.” She sighed. “Alright. For the record, don't say I didn't warn you.” She related more about what she remembered about the supernova and the Ingarian refugee situation. “It's been about three years their time and things are _still_ as utterly chaotic as they were before. It's just a different kind of chaos. The whole thing is unbelievably tragic and everyone's going to be quite busy for a very long time.”

“Just...how bad is it...will it be? Does thinking in four dimensions usually make one's head hurt?”

“You get used to it. They're a shattered people. Beautiful, strong, tough, proud...but utterly broken. You can see it in their eyes and in their demeanor and that's if you only read the body language. They'll survive physically, but socially, culturally, politically? It's still an absolute nightmare! Most of them can count on one hand the number of surviving family members and at least half of THEM don't have to use any fingers. None of the Ingarian nations have anything resembling a functional government, so they're having to start from scratch with a single new one. It's a good opportunity to weed out some things that hadn't been working and that no one had the guts to try and change, but it's stressful. Their economy is entirely barter-based right now and is barely functioning. A lot of their cultural traditions are in danger of being lost either because not enough people remember enough of it or because so much of it relies on their essentially obliterated social structure. For example, a man is required to ask a woman's father for her hand in marriage, much like we do here. If her father is unavailable, he'd ask the nearest male blood-relative, and so forth. But what does he do if she HAS no surviving male relatives, blood or otherwise? In some cases, she doesn't have enough family of either gender to satisfy even the contingency rules. So they're having to reinvent a lot of their social protocol, too. And that's just _one_ example. _Every_ Ingarian now has _at least_ one adopted family member. Howl and Sophie and Suliman are confident they'll all make it, but they're still trying to save the remnant of an entire civilization from total extinction _and_ rebuild it. It's never going to be the same, though. They're not just having to rebuild it, but also re- _make_ it. They have to think of themselves as Ingarians, not as...whatever kingdoms and such they used to be.” She sighed deeply again. “Have you ever witnessed a Norse funeral?”

Eugene shook his head.

Rapunzel described one. “Ingarian funerals are a lot like that. Only there's no...body. And the scale of it! Eugene, New Ingary has nearly three hundred fifty thousand people, accounting for maybe ninety-five percent of _all_ survivors. There were three billion people on that world...three _billion!_ That's more than four times the the population of our whole world right now! How do you have a funeral for more than two and a half billion people?!” She began to tear up. Eugene took her in his arms while she cried. After a few minutes, she'd calmed down.

He wiped her tears and offered her his handkerchief. As he blew her nose into it, it occurred to him that he would never have been caught dead with a handkerchief as Flynn Rider. He looked down into her face as she handed it back to him. Even ruddy and tear-streaked, she was unbelievably beautiful. He briefly mused on how passionate she was in everything she did. “My love, the future of Corona is in excellent hands,” he said and then kissed her.

She looked at him quizzically.

“Yours,” he added.

She smiled at him and batted her eyelashes. “Oh, I almost forgot,” said Rapunzel as she turned to grab one of the bags he was carrying. She reached into it and pulled out a pair of wooden tongs and a number-two pencil. Then she reached with the tongs into another part of the bag and pulled out an iPad. She tapped it a few times with the eraser end of the pencil and held it up to Eugene. “I want to do THIS for our honeymoon!” He craned his neck back and took it.

“Um...I thought we weren't supposed to have this stuff...temporal causality and all.”

“It was the only way I could think to show you. Besides, you're not supposed to know about titanium, either.”

“Touche. Why were you holding it with wooden tongs?”

“I emit a strong EM field and it destroys anything electronic I touch. This lets me handle that stuff safely.”

“I see,” he said uncertainly, “but...I thought we'd already decided what we're going to do. This will be the third time you've changed your mind. I have to start making solid arrangements next week at the latest, so...”

“...I need to make a decision about it, I know,” she said. “I have. It's _that_ ,” she said, pointing to the device.

Eugene peered at it. An image was displayed. It was a three-cornered sign with convex edges. In the middle was a green triangle with a black tree in front of white mountains. There were words around the edge. “You do realize this violates the Rule of Tincture?”

“Yes, I know, but I don't think they care about that in the future. Just read it.”

“Pacific Crest Trail National Scenic Trail,” he said, reading aloud the words on the sign. He cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at it, then looked up. “I give up. What's the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail?”

“Howl's nephew and a few of his friends just returned from a voyage there shortly before my arrival. They had many stories and many...pictures...and it just sounded like a grand adventure! And, well, I feel like I need one of those before settling down, you know?”

“Yes, but what _is_ it?”

“It's a pathway that goes through the mountains of the western edge of the New World.”

“And you want me to join you while you walk along this trail.”

“Yes!” she said cheerily.

“Can't we take walks through the woods here?”

“Of course we can. But this is different.”

“Different how?” he said tentatively.

“Watch.” She stepped beside him so that they stood side-by-side. Then she poked the screen with the pencil's eraser.

“Now what's _that_?”

“It's a number-two pencil,” she said absently. “We should sit down. This could take a while.”

“Just...how many pictures _are_ there?”

“Um...many...no, a _great_ many.”

“How can there be that many pictures of a trail?” he asked as he followed her to a small couch and sat down next to her.

“Because it's two thousand, six hundred and fifty miles long.”

“ _WHAT?!_ You want us to walk a twenty-six hundred mile-long trail? Are you crazy?!”

Her face fell and she looked like she was about to cry.

“No, I didn't mean...oh, I'm sorry. It's just...it sounds so overwhelming...and a lot like my life pre-you. Which...well...wasn't much fun most of the time.” He took a deep breath, let it out and then looked into her eyes. “But if it's what you really want to do, that's what we'll do. Besides, I did promise to never leave you and never give up on you.” That turned her frown upside-down, she sidled back up to him and he put an arm around her. “Now let's have a look at those pictures, shall we?”

Two hours later, after a seemingly endless stream of photos of flowers, people, scenery and wildlife accompanied by continual commentary about the Kickoff, resupplies, trail angels, water caches, trail names, Hike Your Own Hike, Leave No Trace, bear cans, base weights, ultralight gear, self-arrest, swollen Sierra streams, alternate routes, seasonal water sources, wildfire trail closures, rattlesnakes, ticks, wildflowers, and colorful characters, Eugene felt like his head was about to explode. “So what do you think?” she finally asked.

“I think you've been spending entirely too much time in the future.”

She just cocked an eyebrow at him incredulously in much the same way that she'd cocked it as his so-called smolder the day they'd met.

“And you say this will take six months?”

“Mm-hmm,” she said with a nod and a smile. “But don't worry, we can be back here after only three months our time and everyone will still think we went on the Grand Tour.”

“It'll be grand, alright,” he said with just a hint of an eye-roll. “For the record, I still think you're crazy. It's a good thing I love you.” He sighed again. “To be perfectly honest, though, I wasn't too thrilled with your other ideas, either. But this...” he paused and thought for a moment. “...believe it or not, it's already starting to grow on me.” She smiled at him and he leaned over and kissed him.

“Oh, and here's your research material,” she said, picking up a cloth sack full of books and handing it to him. “Get busy.”

He set the iPad down next to him, took the bag and took out the books one by one. “PCT Atlas...PCT Guidebook...Yogi's PCT Guide...The Cactus Eaters...gear options...and this list of...what's a URL?”

Rapunzel explained, or a least tried to explain, the Internet. In the end, she opted to demonstrate it using the iPad. Howl had devised a way for Eugene to access the Web via a temporal conduit.

“Howl said it's theoretically impossible, at least according to scientists of his own day. He says it could blow modern physics wide open. Same thing with time-travel...and his new holistic physics. Anyway, there's a mind-boggling amount of information out there: trail journals, equipment sources, updates on trail conditions, it's all on there,” she said pointing at the list.

Eugene looked intently at the pile of new research material in front of him and sighed. “I thought I had enough homework to do already.” Then he smiled at her. “If there's anything life with you is NOT going to be, it's boring. For the record, though, I still think you've been spending entirely too much time in the future. Yes, I _am_ aware of how ridiculous that sounds.”

She laughed, then put a hand up to his cheek. “No, Eugene, it doesn't sound ridiculous...not to me.”

“And that's yet another thing that makes you unique.” He put his own hand up to hers and then gently moved it toward his lips and kissed it.

*****

Harold, Liesel, Eugene, Howl, Sophie and her five-year-old son Aedan were walking down the corridor. It was Eugene and Rapunzel's wedding day and their friends from the future had come to share in the celebration. Markl and Penelope would arrive later.

“She says she wants to do the fireworks, you say?” said Howl to Harold.

“That's what she said. I offered to let her work with our pyrotechnicians, but she apparently meant it literally.”

Howl sighed. “I hope she's subtle about it...at least in how she does it. The people won't understand and people tend to fear what they don't understand. It could undermine the work she's done and the friendships she's forged since her homecoming. Poik, I understand it and it scares _me_!”

“What is that?” asked Sophie looking toward the Ballroom. They all followed her gaze. There was a strange light and an odd sound coming from within it. They changed course, walked down the hall to a door, and opened it. What they saw was frightening. Before them hovered a huge mass of red, orange, yellow and white brightly incandescent material that filled the room. It was vaguely egg-shaped, but quite irregularly so. Its surface showed various mottlings that moved and seethed with what looked like an internal convection. Loops of something reddish and yarny-looking leaped from one black-ish spot to another adjacent one. Blue lightening arced erratically across it. The room vibrated with a deep, low-level rumble.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?!” It was Rapunzel's voice. It sounded somewhat disconnected, fully ethereal and had an immense amount of power behind it. It was what Eugene imagined an Archangel might sound like, or God if He were to speak with a female voice.

Liesel shrieked and grabbed onto her husband. Howl let out a resounding “Hoover Dam!” The others just stared, their mouths hanging open, little Aedan looking on in wide-eyed wonderment. The mass seemed to contort, then flickered and vanished. In its place stood Rapunzel, dressed in her chemise, her hair a vibrant orange-red that was rapidly fading back to the red-tinged brown it had been since the incident on Ingary. “Oh, I'm so sorry!” Her voice was back to normal. She rushed toward her friends and family, all of whom continued to just stand there staring at her. “I didn't mean to scare anybody. I...I just wanted to see what it looks like and...well...this is the biggest room in the palace that has enough mirrors,” she said with an apologetic shrug.

“Was...is...that...?” stammered Liesel.

“That's the sun-blood that's joined to me, yes.”

“What have you become?!” said Harold.

“Oh, Daddy, I'm still me,” she said with a slight scolding tone. “Would I be any different if I'd lost an arm or a leg? This is the same thing...kind of...only in reverse.”

“It looked much different on...the screen,” said Sophie.

“It's actually much bigger than that anyway,” said Rapunzel.

“I'm marrying a goddess!” exclaimed Eugene, making no attempt whatsoever to hide the immense awe in his voice.

Rapunzel laughed. “Oh, Eugene, you're a treasure!” She stepped over and kissed him. “I'll see you all at the ceremony!” she said cheerfully and then trotted out the door, her bare feet padding off down the hall.

They all gazed after her for several moments after she'd passed out of view, and then looked at each other blankly.

“Well, that was...unusual,” said Howl, finally breaking the silence.

“That's...not quite the word I'd use,” said Harold.

“Would it be any different if she still had the glowy hair, instead of...that?” said Eugene. “I mean, except for the damage to the floor...and the chandelier...and that mirror,” he added, looking back into the room.

Harold sighed. “I suppose not. You know, if you're having any second thoughts....”

“You have no idea how badly I want to marry that woman!”

“She's going to be _your_ problem, you know.”

“How do you solve a problem like Ra-pun-zel,” sang Howl softly. “How do you catch a flame and pin it down?”

Sophie rolled her eyes.

“My bride is _not_ a problem!” Eugene protested, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest.

“You were right,” said Harold to his wife, “he _is_ a good man.” He turned back to Eugene and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I'll be pleased to have you as my son-in-law.” Everyone exchanged hugs.

“Then I suggest that we all have a wedding to attend,” said Howl. They, too, turned and walked out the door.

*****

The guests had assembled in the cathedral with all the decorum befitting a royal wedding. So numerous were the attendants, that they overflowed the building. In fact, everyone in the entire kingdom had turned out to witness the wedding of their favorite Princess. As per tradition, Liesel processed into the sanctuary and took her seat at the front, followed by all the close royal relatives. Eugene stood before the altar facing it, with Howl as best man and Rapunzel's cousin and Markl beside them. The clergy processed and took their places before the altar. Then Harold escorted Rapunzel down the isle, joined by Sophie as matron of honor and Penelope. The bishop began.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God himself, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church; which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence, and first miracle that he wrought, in Cana of Galilee, and is commended in Holy Writ to be honorable among all men; and therefore is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly; but reverently, discreetly, soberly, and in the fear of God, duly considering the causes for which Matrimony was ordained.

“First, It was ordained for the increase of mankind according to the will of God, and that children might be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the praise of his holy name.

“Secondly, It was ordained in order that the natural instincts and affections, implanted by God, should be hallowed and directed aright; that those who are called of God to this holy estate, should continue therein in pureness of living.

“Thirdly, It was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity.  
Into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore if any man can shew any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace. ”

Then he turned to Eugene and Rapunzel.

“I require and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, ye do now confess it. For be ye well assured, that so many as are coupled together otherwise than God’s word doth allow are not joined together by God; neither is their Matrimony lawful.

“Eugene, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together according to God’s law in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health? and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live? ”

“I will,” answered Eugene.

“Elsa Rapunzel Syele Agnes Clare, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together according to God’s law in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health? and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live? ”

“I will,” answered Rapunzel.

“Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? ” continued the bishop. Harold stepped forward with Rapunzel, passing her hand to the bishop, who then in turn passed it to Eugene.

“I, Eugene, take thee, Elsa Rapunzel Syele Agnes Clare, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish, till the sun fall, death take me or the world end, according to God’s holy law; and thereto I give thee my troth.

“I, Elsa Rapunzel Syele Agnes Clare, take thee, Eugene, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse: for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish, till the sun fall, death take me, or the world end, according to God’s holy law; and thereto I give thee my troth. ”

The bishop continued. “Bless, O Lord, this ring, and grant that he who gives it and she who shall wear it may remain faithful to each other, and abide in thy peace and favor, and live together in love until their lives’ end. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ”

Then Eugene took the ring and said, “With this ring I thee wed; with my body I thee honor; and all my worldly goods with thee I share: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. ”

Then he placed it on her finger. Rapunzel repeated this for Eugene.

Eugene and Rapunzel knelt and the bishop continued. “Let us pray. O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, giver of all spiritual grace, the author of everlasting life: Send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this man and this woman, whom we bless in thy name; that, living faithfully together, they may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, whereof this ring given and received is a token and pledge; and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

“Forasmuch as Eugene and Rapunzel have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be man and wife together, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

“God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you; and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen. ”

The bishop then proceeded to pronounce the Lesson and Benediction. Various hymns and songs were interspersed throughout the ceremony.

*****

Rapunzel and Eugene walked hand-in-hand, with their family behind them, to the edge of the balcony. The crowd in the square below erupted into cheers and applause. Eugene blushed slightly at the mass adoration. He leaned over toward his wife.

“Are you still barefoot?” he asked, just slightly teasing.

She looked down and he followed her gaze as she carefully thrust a bare foot out from the hem of her gown and smiled. “Of course,” she said cheerily.

He grinned. “I do love you.” He leaned over even further and kissed her tenderly. The crowd cheered even louder. When they pulled apart, they again faced the crowd and Rapunzel looked up and thrust her right hand skyward. Far above them, a fire started. It grew and radiated outward in a spiral pattern, finally resolving itself into the sun that was Corona's primary heraldic charge. Howl and Harold looked at each other with raised eyebrows and then back up toward the fiery display. The sun's rays extended outward even further, curving to wrap around its center. Then they grew plant-like tendrils, the entire mass attenuating to re-resolve into a lily flower slipped and leaved. The design continued to move, changing into first one flower, then fish that swam across the blue sky, expanding, contracting, flowing, sometimes repeating parts of some of the tapestries that Rapunzel had painted in her tower. All the while everyone stood mesmerized.

When the final form—a miniature scale model of a sun complete with sunspots and solar prominences--dissipated and the crowd cheered once more, Rapunzel was breathing heavily from the effort, but wore an expression of sheer joy on her face. Eugene could scarcely take his eyes off her as he looked into hers. He basked in that moment, then kissed her.

“You're not going to tire of that, are you?” she teased.

“Never,” he responded with a grin and kissed her again.

*****

The celebration party lasted the rest of the day and all night. In the wee hours of the morning, Rapunzel and Eugene stole away and retired to her suite. They paused outside while she allowed him to carry her over the threshold, which he did with ease—one advantage to all that combat training.

“Well, now, Prince Eugene,” she said with just a slightly seductive tone, “now what are you going to do with me?”

“I don't know, Missus Fitzherbert,” he said meeting her tone, “what _am_ I going to do with you?”

“I can think of something.” She reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

“Wait,” he said just before their lips touched. “Do I get to use tongue now?” he asked, cocking his head inquisitively.

She giggled. “I'd be disappointed if you didn't,” she said with a wry smile.

“I was hoping you'd say that.” He closed the remaining distance and complied with her invitation.

“That just sounds...weird,” he said, after they'd paused for breath. She cocked an inquisitive eyebrow. “Prince Eugene, I mean,” he added.

“So does 'Missus Fitzherbert,'” she said. “But is it any weirder than 'marrying a goddess,' as you put it?”

Eugene smiled. “No, I suppose not.” He kissed her again, then led her in the general direction of her bed. “For the record, I'm SO glad you talked your parents into dispensing with the usual tradition of...er...having witnesses.”

“I wasn't thrilled about it either. That's mainly for sitting royals anyway. Now where were we? Oh, yes. I believe you were about to help me out of this?” she said, indicating the gown. He obliged, she reciprocated and soon they were helping each other into bed.

“Be gentle with me,” she said nervously, “It's my first time.”

“Mine too.”

She cocked her head and furrowed her brow incredulously. “You're kidding,” she said flatly.

He shrugged slightly. “You're surprised?”

“Well...considering your background and all...I'm sorry,” she said, looking away.

“No,” he said, gently lifting her chin with a finger and kissing her, “it's alright.”

“It's a good thing I want you something fierce,” she said with just a hint of aggression.

“It's also a good thing we're not in any particular hurry.” They kissed, kissed again, and again....

*****

Rapunzel and Eugene lay next to each other, breathing heavily.

“Wow!” said Eugene, “That was...” he paused, searching for a word.

“Phenomenal!” said Rapunzel.

“You think so?”

“You don't?”

“Oh, I do, don't get me wrong. It's just that...didn't it...?”

“It did at first,” she said weakly, then her tone changed again, reclaiming a bit of that earlier aggression as she turned to prop herself up on an elbow, “but I got over it!”

“I noticed.”

“What can I say?” she said with a shrug, “I'm fiery.”

“Yes, yes you are. You don't suppose it has anything to do with that...?” his voice trailed off as he searched for words.

“How should I know? I'm brand new to all of this.”

“I was just curious.”

Suddenly she froze, looked over one shoulder, then the other, then back at Eugene. “I...thought I saw some candlelight...or something.”

“Um...honey?” said Eugene, a hint of both surprise and uncertainty in his voice. “You're not imagining things.”

“Someone's watching?” she said with an edge of irritation.

“No,” he said cautiously, “it was you.”

“What was me?”

“You were glowing.”

“What?”

“You were glowing,” he repeated. “It was subtle and I might not have noticed it if it weren't dark, but your skin was definitely glowing.”

“Really?”

A few moments of pregnant silence followed. Rapunzel finally broke it.

“Let's do that again!” she said brightly.

“Again?”

“We...do get to do it again, don't we?” she said concernedly.

He chuckled. “My dear, that's the best part. We get to do this as much as we want for the rest of our lives.”

“Really?!” she squealed.

Eugene could have sworn her face literally brightened up just then. “Yes, really.”

“Well, then?” she said as she wiggled her unbelievably warm self up against him.

“If you insist,” he said with a grin.

“I have to insist?” she said quizzically.

“Well...no,” he said playfully as he kissed her deeply.

“Eugene?” she said in a sing-songy voice. “You're not using enough tongue.” She emphasized the point by poking him gently in the chest.

He kissed her again, even more passionately this time. “Is that better?”

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Much.”

“You know I'm going to lose sleep over this, don't you?”

“We wouldn't want that,” she teased.

“No, of course not,” he said as he rolled over to kiss her yet again. She returned the kiss and proceeded to roll over him....

*****

Eugene awoke with a start. He could feel the morning sun shining on his back. He rolled over to see his wife sitting on the edge of the bed, head tilted up, basking in the sunlight. He took a few moments to enjoy the view.

“Good morning, dearest,” she said tranquilly.

“Good morning to you, too.”

“Join me in a sunbath?”

“Don't mind if I do,” he said as he scooted over next to her and put an arm around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder.

They sat there next to each other for a few minutes before Eugene broke the silence. “Do you do this every morning?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It feels good...really good. Not as good as...well...you know...but....” They both chuckled.

“You're right,” said Eugene after a few more moments. “That _does_ feel good...remarkably good. Why didn't I notice that before?”

She shrugged. “I started basking because it feels good. It wasn't until after a few weeks that I discovered that it refills the sun-blood and probably the sun-tears, too. It fuels my furnace at least as much as food does.”

“I didn't think people normally slept...in the nude,” he said, changing the subject.

“Oh, they don't. Well, they often do in the future and maybe in other countries, but not here and now.”

“Do you?”

“Sometimes,” she said with a shrug. “Then again, I don't get cold and I don't get sick. So for me, it's...more a matter of decorum than anything.”

“I prefer it this way,” he said, lightly stroking her spine.

She just giggled and returned the favor.

“What time are we supposed to meet the others?” asked Eugene, changing the subject again. “Ten?” Then he looked around the room. “What time is it anyway?”

“Seven thirty.”

“How can you tell? You have no clocks.” Then after a moment, “Wait, let me guess...the sun?”

She nodded.

He sighed. “I love you.” He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. Then she turned and kissed him on the lips. “Two and a half hours...that's plenty of time.”

She giggled, kissed him again and they fell over backward onto the bed....

*****

Rapunzel and Eugene walked into the room containing Howl's portal in the guise of an armoire. Harold, Liesel, Howl, Sophie, Aedan, Markl and Penelope were waiting. Everyone was dressed in unassuming but well-tailored homespun. The newlyweds walked up and everyone exchanged hugs.

“So how was it?” teased Howl. Sophie elbowed him in the ribs.

“I'm married to the hottest woman on earth,” said Eugene.

Rapunzel giggled. “He's just saying that because it's literally true.”

“I'm saying that because I mean it.”

“Aw....” she leaned up and kissed him.

“Newlyweds,” said Howl rolling his eyes. Sophie elbowed him again. Liesel giggled. Harold squirmed slightly. Rapunzel noticed.

She laid a hand aside his cheek. “Oh, Daddy, I'm a married woman now,” she said with a slight teasing tone. “You can stop squirming.”

Liesel giggled again and Harold teared up a little. Rapunzel wiped it away and glanced over at her mother. “Has he always been this much of a...what's that expression...big softie?” Liesel nodded and Rapunzel hugged her father.

“Shall we?” said Howl, motioning toward the armoire. They walked over, Howl activated it and they all stepped through.

**Author's Note:**

> Titanium wasn't officially discovered until 1791, nearly two full centuries after the time period I've established and a good several decades after the movie's producers have stated in the DVD bonus material. So how did Eugene know about it? I figure he cheated and obtained a small piece from Howl. Otherwise, while titanium is fairly common--occurring in laterite, ilmenite and wallastonite--it's nearly impossible to extract using period methods. I chose it because it's a very hard metal and a first-rate pain in the rear to work, particularly if you're trying to machine it, and I wanted Eugene to have chosen an unusual metal in his effort to impress Rapunzel.
> 
> If their wedding ceremony looks familiar, there may be a good reason for it. If you're one of the hundreds of millions of people who watched the wedding of William and Katherine earlier this year, that's why. I essentially had three options: use the modern one with which most of us are familiar; try to invent something that sounded plausibly period; research a period royal ceremony. It then occurred to me that a very well-publicized royal wedding had just occurred and that the best way to give Eugene and Rapunzel's wedding the feel of being royal would be to use a REAL one! While the text of William and Katherine's probably differs somewhat from that of a wedding in 1603, I figure that the substance and feel are unlikely to be all that dissimilar. I therefore copied-and-pasted the entire thing, leaving out some bits for the sake of brevity and making a minor change here and there.  
> You may also have noticed that her name is kind of a mouthful. I figure that if she's Crown Princess, she'll probably have several names. While I'm unsure if this was done in period, I feel it adds flavor and further emphasizes the contrast between Eugene's obviously "blue-collar" background and Rapunzel's royal blood. Her names are documented from period in 15th century Germany.


End file.
